Tag: Serum Foundation

Today is a day for leggings and fuzzy socks as it’s rainy here in Colorado. I can’t say I mind the rain, we definitely need it. But with such a dismally gray and overcast day, what better time is there to play with makeup! That and I want to take a break from the more serious topics I’ve been writing about lately.

I grabbed one of NYX’s Total Control Drop Foundation last night and was actually pleasantly surprised to see that it closely resembles one of my favorite foundations – The Ordinary Serum Foundation from The Abnormal Beauty Company. I discovered The Ordinary’s Serum Foundation a few years ago and it’s my go to whenever I want to switch from my daily BB cream. It’s runny, I wasn’t expecting the Serum Foundation to be so liquid-y, but somehow when it is blended in, the foundation has a velvety soft powdery finish. It is buildable and blends very well, especially when using a damp beauty sponge. My only complaint about the Serum Foundation is that does not cover dry spots very well. In other words, if you already have a dry spot on your face, this foundation will only make is drier. That complaint aside, I really like the liquid nature of the foundation and how powdery it is when it dries.

Another thing I like about The Ordinary’s foundations is the selection of shades. It is disappointing there are only 3 darker shades though. The foundation does give you options for different undertones, which is what I like. I technically have almost neutral undertones, but I tend towards cooler tones than warm. I have the 1.1 P Fair with Pink Undertones foundation. It matches my skin tone very well.

When I saw the new NYX drop foundation coming out, I wasn’t all that interested. It runs at about $13.99 (The Ordinary foundation is about $11 shipped) so I wasn’t planning on getting any. But I found some on a Target clearance rack last night and since I am almost out of my Ordinary foundation, I grabbed it. I am actually glad I did!

As NYX Total Control drop foundation is a liquid-y foundation, you don’t need much. It is actually silkier than The Ordinary’s Serum Foundation, and dries even smoother. I would definitely recommend using a primer under either foundation, but with the NYX foundation, I don’t feel like it dries out my skin as much as the Ordinary’s foundation.

The NYX foundation on the box looks like it has yellowish undertones. But when I opened it and looked at the shade, it is almost identical to The Ordinary’s foundation. I grabbed the shade 05 Light. Usually I’m the lightest shade in a foundation line, but was surprised to find that 05 is well, the 5th shade in the Total Control line. The NYX website says that it is Light with Neutral undertones, but I would call them more pink than neutral. I am really liking this foundation and I think it will replace The Ordinary! I used my usual primer (Wet n’ Wild primer) under the NYX foundation and then applied the foundation with a damp beauty sponge. It blended very smoothly, and even went over some tiny dry spots I have very well. The NYX foundation is a touch smoother than the Ordinary foundation and I feel like it is easier to build up than the Ordinary as well. Another big difference is the top of both bottles. The Ordinary foundation has a pump top and the NYX is an actual dropper top. The NYX foundation is only 0.43 fl oz versus the Ordinary’s 1 fl oz. I’m curious to see how long the NYX foundation will last for me. I maybe only wear actual foundation 2-3 times a month, otherwise I use my Skin79 BB cream daily.

So long story short, I am quite pleased with NYX Total Control Drop Foundation. I think it would work for combination skin, dry skin, and oily skin. I would HIGHLY recommended using a primer under this foundation, as I would with any foundation. A primer just gives the foundation something to grip on to and it helps keep your skin moisturized.

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